Main description:

Contemporary Reviews in Neuropsychology arrays the most current research on hemispheric specialization of the brain. Special attention is given to the functioning of the right hemisphere in the processing of spatial and sequential information. Among the topics discussed are the nature of hemisphere asymmetries, lexical processing, spatial memory, and humor and the right hemisphere.

Contents:

1 Hemispace Asymmetries.- Hemineglect: Description of a Syndrome.- Areas Affected in Hemineglect.- Possible Mechanisms of Hemineglect.- Line Bisection by Normal Subjects.- Anatomic Connectivity and Hemispace.- Kinesthetic Studies.- Visual Studies.- Finger Stimulation, Spacing, and Sequencing Tasks.- Vibrotactile Experiments.- Auditory Hemispace.- Overview and Conclusions.- 2 Lateralization of Lexical Processes in the Normal Brain: A Review of Visual Half-Field Research.- Lexical Processing Mechanisms in Simple Reading Tasks.- Prelexical Processes.- Lexical Processes.- Postlexical Processes.- Conclusions.- 3 Neuropsychology of Spatial Memory.- Temportal Lobe.- Frontal Lobe.- Posterior Neocortex.- Caudate Nucleus.- Medial Diencephalon.- Neuropharmacology.- Aging.- Summary and Conclusions.- 4 Humor and the Right Hemisphere: A Narrative Perspective.- Sensitivity to the Form of Humorous Stimuli.- Analysis of the Processes Required for Humor Comprehension.- The Roles of Joke Content and Affect in Humor Recognition.- The Relation between Humor Comprehension and Humor Production.- Comparison of Right Hemisphere-Damaged Patients' Performances with Those of Other Populations.- Conclusion.- 5 Nonverbal Cognitive Disturbances in Aplasia.- History of Research on the Relations between Language of Cognition in Aplasia.- More Recent Trends: Methods, Theories, and Lines of Research.- Main Interpretations Advanced to Explain the Association Between Verbal and Nonverbal Cognitive Disturbances in Aplasia.- Conclusions.- Author Index.